New boost for digital restorative care
CaReBOOST
Funders
Project information
Project duration
-
Funded by
European Structural Funds - European Social Fund Plus (ESF+)
Funding amount
412 669 EUR
Project coordinator
University of Oulu
Unit and faculty
Contact information
Project leader
- University Teacher, doctoral researcher
Other persons
- VäitöskirjatutkijaMari Parkkila
Project description
Aging declines individual’s functional capacity e.g. due to illnesses, which increases the need for social and healthcare services. Older people living in assisted living and nursing homes have more functional capacity challenges than older people living independently. Restorative care and digital solutions have been found to be effective ways to promote the functional capacity of older people and reduce the workload of nursing staff. However, there are challenges in implementing digital solutions in restorative care due to e.g. the lack of nursing staff’s competence and support for implementation. The development of competence, cooperation and operating practices is needed to meet the needs of working life and society, recommendations and regulations.
The project aims to:
Develop the digital restorative care skills of healthcare and social services professionals and students through innovative training designed to improve the assessment and support of older adults’ functional capacity.
To create a partnership network among training providers, providers of services for older adults, and technology developers to promote expertise in digital restorative care, proactive co-development, and collaboration.
Support the collaborative and interactive sharing of best practices in that promotes digital restorative care and related change processes within the partnership network. Develop expertise in digital restorative care through operational models and pilots, and support leaders and professionals in the social and health care sector in the adoption and implementation of digital solutions in assisted living for older people as well as in assessment and rehabilitation units, in collaboration with regional educational organizations.
Create recommendations for digital restorative care in assisted living facilities as well as in assessment and rehabilitation units to support the reform of operating practices.
The expertise developed in the project, network collaboration, and digital solutions implemented in the project will promote the assessment and support of older adults’ functional capacity, thereby reducing the workload of social and health care professionals, improving workplace well-being, and preventing an increase in older adults’ need for services and societal costs.
The project is being carried out in collaboration with The Wellbeing Services County of North Ostrobothnia Pohde.
Project actions
Work Package 1: Development of Competence in Digital Restorative Care
The purpose of this work package is to design and deliver training that enhances the target group’s competence in digital restorative care.
Actions:
- Design and service design of the training for social and healthcare professionals, students, and educators. The training content includes, among other topics, restorative care, assessment of functional capacity, and digital solutions in digital restorative care.
- Implementation of the training as a combination of online learning, practical exercises (including immersive environments), and real-time teaching.
- Ensuring the sustainability and further use of the training, as well as open sharing of the materials.
Work Package 2: Establishment of a Partnership Network and Development of Its Operating Model
The purpose of this work package is to create a partnership network of educators, service providers for older adults, and technology developers to promote competence, co-creation, collaboration, and the adoption of digital solutions in digital restorative care.
Actions:
- Mapping and contacting similar partnership networks and their operating models in Finland and internationally.
- Bringing together actors into a partnership network in Northern Ostrobothnia (including social and healthcare professionals, managers, educators, providers of services for older adults, organizations, and technology developers).
- Co-development of the partnership network’s operating model through workshops.
- Organizing open events (kick-off, network meetings, seminars, webinars) to disseminate project results and best practices.
- Preparation of a final report and a development plan for the continuation of the network.
Work Package 3: Pilot Projects for Developing Competence in Digital Restorative Care
The purpose of this work package is to develop and pilot an operational model for digital restorative care and to produce recommendations for national dissemination.
Actions:
- Organizing an innovation workshop to assess the current state of digital restorative care and to generate new solution proposals through co-creation. Participants may include those who have completed the WP1 training, members of the WP2 network, and other interested stakeholders.
- Workshops in pilot units to develop the digital restorative care operational model in collaboration with professionals.
- Piloting of the operational model over six months in 24-hour care and community-based housing services for older adults, as well as in assessment and rehabilitation units.
- Preparation of a plan for the establishment and scaling of the operational model.
- A webinar to disseminate the results of the pilot.
- Development and dissemination of recommendations for digital restorative care.
Project results
The outcomes of the project include:
- Education on digital restorative care, along with related learning materials, descriptions of training and implementation models, results of the evaluation of the training’s impact, and the experiences and best practices accumulated during the project. Through the training, the competencies of social and healthcare professionals and students in assessing and promoting functional capacity, as well as in utilizing digital solutions, will be strengthened.
- A partnership network and an operational model to ensure the continuity of the network.
- Open webinars and in-person events for the target groups of the project and for anyone interested in digital restorative care and its best practices.
- An operational model for digital restorative care, developed in a clear and practical format to enable its adoption in other service organizations for older adults.
- Recommendations for digital restorative care to support the renewal of practices and for national use in assisted living services for older adults, as well as in assessment and rehabilitation units.
- A final report on the project outcomes and their impacts, enabling the utilization of the results after the project ends in various assisted living services for older adults and in assessment and rehabilitation units, as well as across different geographic regions.
The project outcomes can be utilized nationally.
